For many years I’ve kept my eyes open for fast and easy ways to create dynamic timelines and it appears it is a concept who’s time has finally come. There are now many websites that let you create your own custom timelines and after checking out a few, I decided to create an Animation Timeline on Dipity.

I’ve added all the Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks and Blue Sky feature films but I’m sure there are many more from years past that can be included. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t mind having anything related to animation on there. I started it, but I won’t claim it as my own – it’s for all of us! Any one can contribute since it is editable by anyone. Just create an account on Dipity and add away. You can even edit the information that’s there if you want. It took me a while to get all the films in there, so I’m putting a bit of trust in your hands that you won’t maul it in to a work of evil, but I know you’re a good bunch and animation types generally watch out for each other.

I would love it if individual events could be added from the accounts of these podcasts, but that is beyond my means. If anyone is willing, that would be very cool to see. Whatever happens, I thought it would be fun to share with you.

For me the most striking view is to open the timeline full-screen (click the button in the lower left corner) to see the pattern of how many films were released over the years. (See the thumbnail above.) You can follow the boom after Snow White, the fallow years of the 50s and 60s, and then the explosion of releases in the last couple decades. As you can see, animation is booming and that’s great for all of us!

37 Responses to “Animation Timeline”

That’s awesome. Thanks Clay! Is it possible to put links in their descriptions to direct viewers to that movie’s IMDB page for more information? I wouldn’t mind going through and helping out with that. Also I’m recalling a few great pages in The Illusion of Life that had timelines of the early years at Disney. I’ll try to get on that if I get some free time.

Wow, awesome time-line clay. I notice you didn’t add couple of Producer/director’s theater release. I’ll add Bluth’s stuff. But I was wondering what about Miyazaki? not adding him in the time-line seem odd. It’s would feel stranger if we added him without other Japanese animation. I see a small debate coming and thinking about it gives me a headache.

J.W. – I would absolutely want to see Miyazaki films on there. I just didn’t have time to do more. (I made this over the course of a couple weeks while I was shooting out frames for my shots.) There shouldn’t be debate – it’s all animation baby!

Andy – that’s great to hear.

Michael – I see the new additions on there. Maybe it just takes a little time to update. Thanks for contributing!!!

thanks clay, I only worry because the quantity of Japanese theatrical releases outnumber American with mix quality standard. Sure you get great ones like Akira or ghost in the shell, but you also get 12 Pokemon and 17 dragonball movies. So until someone bring up the subject. I’ll add the one that is not a theatrical product placement (in my opinion).

Looks like this is really taking off. It is getting quite busy, but I think dipity does a good job of managing the clutter overall. I started at the end and am working backwards to add the IMDB links. Many thanks to whoever is adding the pics and videos to the more recent ones. Hopefully we can carry that out through the rest of the timeline. Good work so far.

What an awesome idea!! I had no idea Brave Little Toaster wasn’t a Disney film: who produced it then? And what about adding all of the Rankin Bass films – I saw Lord of the Rings on there, but not the animagic films.

to Lorraine: I don’t think there is a set standard. I add the director’s name and IMDB address. others add image and videos. As long as it is a theatrical releases I think it would be fine. Please note that updates made for the timeline would take awhile to appear.

I added a bunch of the movie posters earlier today, from around Gulliver’s Travels to A Goofy Movie (except a few inbetween that were already added). I also added Watership Down & Allegro non troppo to the timeline. Boy did that help the time pass by quick!

WHOA!!! You guys and gals rock. I went back to check the timeline and it has EXPLODED like Brian says. It has become quite education for me too. I had no idea so many animated films had been produced and then you see them all side by side and it’s a bit startiling. Isn’t it?

Again, thanks everyone who has contributed to this project. It has quickly surpassed my expectations and when I put it up, there were about 200 views. Now it has passed 1500.

I’ve been in contact with the good people at Dipity with some suggestions that will hopefully make it a more digestible guide with some sorting features. I hope they can do it.

Hi, I found your blog on this new directory of WordPress Blogs at blackhatbootcamp.com/listofwordpressblogs. I dont know how your blog came up, must have been a typo, i duno. Anyways, I just clicked it and here I am. Your blog looks good. Have a nice day. James.

Clay, as you probably know word has spread that Glen Keane is no longer the director on Rapunzel. many have jumped to conclusions that Lasseter fire him and that we’d have a repeat of the Bolt mess.

we now know that apparently he stepped down do to health issues and will become the animation director and exec producer instead. but I was wondering if you had anything to add. I figured you would since I hear the bolt team might be stepping in to finish the movie. is any of that true? are you doing anything on rapunzel?

Glen Keane FIRED?! From direction?! Ah, frit! (homage to “Fat Albert”). You know, I looked on the Rapunzel page on Wiki and I don’t see any comic character stuff on this movie. The way we love Glen Keane is that he’s so emotional! He’s like George Scribner, who did “Oliver & Company”. George was originally going to direct “The Lion King”, but because he wanted to make the film very serious, he got taken off. Well, I think Mr. Keane was taken off of direction is because he wanted to make the movie serious. Don’t you think, Clay?

He’s still involved, they just needed to bring in a new director to fix plot problems Glen couldn’t seem to get around. (if what Ive heard is correct)

I think there’s more to it than a health issue now, but it doesn’t sound like a mean spirited thing either. He just wasn’t able to dig himself out of the plot holes or whatever else was wrong with the story. I hear it started to fall apart after Rapunzel gets captured in her tower.

Hi, I’m helping the Wyoming Film Office spread the word about their short film contest. Information is below, and the deadline is on the 30th of April. With the deadline coming up soon, we’d like as many people as possible to have the chance to enter. You don’t have to be from Wyoming to take part in this contest, and we encourage animated entries!! It would be awesome if you could mention this on your blog or pod cast, as it seems that this would be of interest to some of your readers and listeners

About Clay

Clay Kaytis animated at Walt Disney Animation Studios in sunny Burbank, California for 19 years. He is currently directing his debut film, The Angry Birds Movie. This podcast has grown out of his love for animation and the great people who make it. Clay promises this is the only time he will write in the third person. Click his picture for more info. He will stop now.